Dubai: The world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa will beam the images of the Australian and Indian flags this evening to mark the Australia Day and Indian Republic Day.
The blue, white and red Australian flag with stars and crosses will be displayed at 6:40pm while the Indian tricolour featuring the Ashoka Chakra will be beamed at 8:10pm, the consulates of the respective countries confirmed to Gulf News.
Australia Day is the national day of Australia. It marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip.
The marking of 26 January is an important date in Australia’s history and has changed over time--starting as a celebration for emancipated convicts and evolving into what is now a celebration of Australia that reflects the nation’s diverse people.
On January 15, Burj Khalifa had displayed a message of support for the Australian people from the UAE in sympathy with the devastating bushfires that ravaged the country. It lit up with messages of solidarity, saying the world was uniting in its support of the country as it battled the largest wildfire seen in decades.
Indian tricolour display
The Indian Republic Day honours the date January 26, 1950 on which the Constitution of India came into effect though the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted it on November 26, 1949. The Constitution replaced the Government of India Act as the governing document of India. This replacement was a key move in fulfilling India’s journey towards becoming an independent republic, a democracy.
The date itself carries significance, even before 1950. It was not selected randomly but rather chosen as the day when, in 1929, the Purna Swaraj, or Declaration of Indian Independence, was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress in response to the Dominion status offered by the British.
Watching Burj Khalifa displaying the Indian flag on the occasions of the Indian Republic Day and the Indian Independence Day has become a regular affair for Indian expats in Dubai in the past few years.
The display of a country’s flag on Burj Khalifa is considered to be the manifestation of the warm relations shared by the UAE with that country.
